This invention relates to a therapeutic ice packs adapted for the reduction of swelling and the relief of pain resulting from soft tissue surgery or traumatic insults. Particularly, the inventin concerns ice packs having special shapes adaptable to be used in special circumstances. As used herein, ice packs include cold packs of every nature, not necessarily being limited to bags or bottles having water or ice as its cold temperature storage medium. Other types of liquid or solid medium are also of concern.
It should be noted at the outset, that the use of ice packs as aforestated is not novel and has been widely used within the medical field for therapeutic treatment of swelling and for the reduction of pain resulting from traumatic injuries or surgery. The effect of reduction of temperature in an area of traumatic insult facilitates the reduction in extravasatin of fluids from the intracellular compartment into the interstitial areas which causes swelling. Ice packs have proven to be convenient and effective in reducing swelling locally. The application of ice packs in a localized area reduces pressure at the injured site and thereby substantially reduces pain within the first six to twelve hours after injury or operation. Also, ice packs will aid in the constriction and the maintenance thereof of capillary vessels to retard or cease bleeding resulting from severed vessels.
Ice packs are generally composed of flexible material such as rubber, which contain a freezable medium therein. The freezable medium may be water or a pliable slurry both of which serves as a cold temperature storage means. In that regard, inventor has noted several patents, one of which is U.S. Pat. No. 2,697,424 issued to Hanna on Dec. 21, 1954 wherein a thereapeutic cold pack is disclosed having a particular pliable slurry contained therein, such as a mixture 10% isopropyl alcohol and water which freezes near 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Regarding ice packs having special anatomical shapes, such as that which this invention is concerned, the inventor has noted U.S. Pat. No. 734,213 issued to Barnes on July 21, 1903. The Barnes patent discoses a hot water bag, which may serve the purpose of an ice pack, consisting of flexible material, having a rectal insert thereon, adapted to worn in the pelvis region. Unlike the instant invention, the device disclosed by the Barnes patent is not disposable. The inventor also notes a disposable hemorrhoidal device having a cold temperature storage medium for therapeutic treatment of hemorrhoids in U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,842 issued to Harris on Feb. 24, 1976.
Disposability of various therapeutic surgical devices and aids are extremely desirable in both hospitals and private offices of physicians. Not only do features of disposability eliminates the possibility of communicating diseases, germs, bacteria, etc, but it reduces labor required for cleaning and disenfecting the devices and surgical aids. Of course, the effects of non-recycleable goods on the ecology must be weighted in light of benefits achieved otherwise.
There exists several other types of special purpose ice packs, none of which anticipates the instant invention, which will be more fully hereinafter described in the following specification and appended drawings.
In view of the foregoing, it is the intent of the inventor herein to provide a disposable perineal ice pack specially contoured and anatomically shaped to compliment the rectal and vaginal regions of female subjects, particularly in the interest of convenience and sanitation, to therapeutically treat swelling and/or minimize external hemorrage and/or minimizing pain associated with surgical operations or traumatic insults to the rectal and vaginal regions.
It is, of course, another object of the invention to perform the aforestated objective in the most economical and efficient manner.
Further and additional objects of the invention will become readily apparent upon presentation of the foregoing detailed description.